Shloka 23
Śiva-nāmānukīrtana-prastāvaḥ
Prologue to the praise of Śiva and the Upamanyu testimony
न विदुर्यस्थ भवनमादित्या: सूक्ष्मदर्शिन: । स कथ॑ नरमात्रेण शक््यो ज्ञातुं सतां गति:
na vidur yatra bhavanam ādityāḥ sūkṣma-darśinaḥ | sa kathaṁ nara-mātreṇa śakyo jñātuṁ satāṁ gatiḥ ||
Vāsudeva said: “Even the subtle-seeing Ādityas do not know the abode where he dwells. How, then, could that refuge and goal of the righteous be truly known by a mere human being?”
वासुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches epistemic humility: even exalted divine beings with subtle perception cannot fully know the Lord’s abode and nature, so humans should not claim complete comprehension. Ethically, it encourages reverence, restraint in judgment, and devotion rather than arrogance.
Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa) is speaking in praise of Śiva, emphasizing the inscrutability of Śiva’s true state and the difficulty of grasping the ‘gati’ (refuge/goal) of the righteous. The statement elevates Śiva’s transcendence within the discourse of Anuśāsana Parva.